Nazareth was once again without starting running back Charles Calhoun for Week 10, but expects him to back soon.
In the meantime, linebacker Dylan Wellner stepped in for Calhoun and played both sides of the ball against host Shepard in Nazareth’s 44-14 Class 6A opening-round win on Oct. 23.
“Dylan always steps it up for us at the running back spot,” Roadrunners coach Tim Racki said. “
“I’m mainly a linebacker, but I play some running back from time to time,” Wellner said. “I’ll stay in rotation, but I’m mainly a defensive guy.”
Following a fumble and Astros score, Wellner’s 8-yard rushing touchdown tied the score in the first quarter and the Roadrunners (5-5) rolled from there.
“A team is going to give us their best every single time we play,” Wellner said. “They gave us a punch to start. We took it and we came back and we just kept responding.”
“I love the way we came out with our intensity in the second half — first was sloppy,” Racki said. “We talked about playing our standard of football and certainly did.”
Wellner, who is committed to Central Missouri, has a favorite accessory: no-glare tape he wears across his nose each game with a daily prayer written on it.
The prayer that night was Psalms 18:32-33, which reads: “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.”
Wellner’s belief in God guides him in his daily life and it has helped strengthen him to accomplish great feats on the football field alongside his teammates.
“I’ve been big on religion and the Bible,” Wellner said. “With this team and this program, we’re all big believers in God. We pray before every game. We all believe in Him and we all trust in Him.”
Besides his offensive efforts, he had three tackles, including two for a loss against Shepard (5-5).
Nazareth quarterback JJ Chapman completed 8 of 11 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown, a 48-yarder to Cash Coleman in the third quarter.
Jack Parisi rushed 12 times for 48 yards and a touchdown, while Gavin Hartigan and sophomore Chase Carithers also rushed for a touchdown each. Jayden Ruth returned a punt 56 yards for a score.
Astros quarterback Ashton Hite threw for 125 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown to Maalik Wright, with an interception. Elijah Motley rushed nine times for 83 yards and the final touchdown of the night in the loss.
Astros coach John Rone was not pleased with the team’s efforts midseason, but is proud of the fight down the final stretch.
“We lost conference games against Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn and we had a moment of clarity as a team the following morning,” Rone said. “Hats off to these guys — especially the seniors — they lead the way. Everybody owned the mistakes they were making and made an effort to change and continue our ascension.”
Nazareth was unhappy about ending the regular season with a losing record. But the Roadrunners said they’re confident the battles they endured prepared them for the playoffs.
“We battled through a lot of adversity. Everybody’s 0-0,” Ruth said. “We stayed together the whole time and that’s driving us right now.”
“It was a tough loss last week (17-14 vs. St. Rita), but we came in with a new mindset,” Wellner said. “Keep taking it week by week so we’ll see Dunlap next week.”